On May 5, 2021, the San Bernardino County District Attorney announced that they had charged 50-year-old Antonio Loera Contreras with the September 22, 2001 murder of 40-year-old Sabrina S. Chagoy in Chino Hills, California.
Chagoy, who was 31 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, was found partially clothed at the side of the road on Monte Vista Avenue. She had been seen entering a vehicle with an unknown male. The case was reopened in 2017. At that time, a DNA profile of a male suspect was obtained and entered into CODIS but produced no hits.
The FIGG investigation was conducted by Barbara Rae-Venter and Firebird Forensics in partnership with the FBI IGU and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Special Investigations officers. The final confirmation was made through a check swab taken from Loera Contreras.
Loera Contreras is currently in custody and facing a charge of murder in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
Sources:
Gundran, Robert. “DNA Matching Leads to Arrest of Jurupa Valley Man in 2001.” Daily Bulletin, March 11, 2020. Accessed December 31, 2023. https://www.dailybulletin.com/2020/03/11/dna-matching-leads-to-arrest-of-jurupa-valley-man-in-2001-killing-of-woman-in-chino-hills/.
Thompson, Josh. “Suspect Arrested in 2001 Murder Case.” Champion Newspapers, March 14, 2020. Accessed December 31, 2023. https://www.championnewspapers.com/news/article_83a6a196-6579-11ea-b5b3-cb980922d74b.html.
Rae-Venter, Barbara. Personal Communication. January 3, 2024.
San Bernardino County District Attorney. “Antonio Loera Contreras Charged in Cold Case Murder From 2001.” Facebook (Post), May 5, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/notes/809272266539143/?paipv=0&eav=Afba4cyhu5hG7EEE0_piNQqTWvtfo9-jxvHCwJfEYNJ5bea6PIdDBx6zgzsBS3cHgo.